Poetry Planet

851 poets, artists and intellectuals from 139 countries for peace in Colombia

Submitted by wpm2011 on Tue, 03/12/2013 - 09:30

851 poets, artists and intellectuals from 139 countries have joined to World Poetry Movement (WPM) and Palabra en el Mundo call for implementation of a global poetic support to peace talks currently held in Havana among Government of Colombia and guerrilla FARC.

Among the signatories are the Nobel Peace Prize Adolfo Pérez Esquivel and 24 scientists, environmentalists and human rights defenders, laureates with Alternative Nobel Prize. They have also signed the statement the Latinoamerican poets Juan Gelman, Gustavo Pereira, Roberto Fernandez Retamar, Thiago de Mello and Homero Aridjis; the Russian Yevgeny Yevtushenko; the North American Amiri Baraka, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Joy Harjo and Quincy Troupe; Birgitta Jonsdottir, poet and member of the Parliament of Iceland; Tamara Vonta, Member of the National Assembly of Slovenia, the African poets Breyten Breytenbach, Niyi Osundare, Rachid Boudjedra and Amadou Lamine Sall; the Palestinian poet Mohammed Zakariah, the shamanic singer Sainkho Namtchylak (fromTuva), the Vietnamese poet Nguyen Quang Thieu, and and New Zealander writer Christian Karlson Stead.

We please ask you to sign this campaign in solidarity, including your name, occupation and nationality to email worldpoetrymovement@gmail.com, as well as to circulate this letter urgently and vigorously among your contacts.

Forces of World Poetry for Peace in Colombia

Colombia is experiencing one of the greatest humanitarian tragedies of the Earth. The world is just detecting this catastrophe. The Colombian people are victims of a war that has gone on for over half a century, making it one of the longest wars in human history, and the oldest war being waged in the XXI century, affecting political stability in South America.

This conflict has claimed more than one million lives, and it has left behind an even higher amount of population wounded, maimed, disappeared, imprisoned and exiled. More than four million Colombians have been displaced from their land, (about fourth million hectares), now in the hands of warlords. Colombia, which has two oceans and has access to the Amazon rainforest, is a huge pot of gold, silver, diamonds, gemstones, iron, coal, uranium and coltan. It also has enormous oil wealth. But 60% of its population is poor, while 11% is destitute.

Currently the Colombian government and the FARC are advancing dialogue processes in the pursuit of peace in Havana (Cuba).

The peace of Colombia, a country that deeply loves poetry, will bring greater stability to the democratic processes in Latin America and therefore the world.

The world poetry forces speak out for the strengthening of these peace talks for an immediate ceasefire and for the materialization of agreements leading to a state of social justice, peace, dignity and reconciliation among Colombians.

Poetry, deeply inspired by the need for peace in the world, is set to transform and renew the human spirit, reminding people of the Earth their ancient roots, the immemorial demand of fulfilling poetic justice, the protection of nature and the natural calling for spiritual unity and solidarity in the world.

That is why the World Poetry Movement (www.wpm2011.org), composed of 250 festivals and poetry organizations and 1,350 poets from 131 countries of the world, which has performed hundreds of poetry readings in a growing number of countries on Earth, from September of 2011, and Palabra en el Mundo, calls to develop a global poetic action, between the 9th and 21st of May, on all continents. This global poetic action may include poetry readings, poetic and artistic activities, concerts and a variety of creative initiatives to support peace talks toward definitive peace in Colombia.

Poets from around the world signed on to support the celebration of 12 days of poetic action for peace in Colombia. Artists, intellectuals and academics in the world join in for this great event.